Horizontal extrusion presses

ABSTRACT

CONTAINER IS NEXT MOVED DOWNWARDS BELOW THE PRESS COLUMNS AND THEN AWAY FROM THE PRESS TO AN OUTSIDE STATION. A HORIZONTAL EXTRUSION PRESS INCLUDING A TRANSFER ARRANGEMENT FOR THE RAPID AND CONVENIENT REMOVAL OF A PRESS CONTAINER AND ITS REPLACEMENT BY ANOTHER WITHOUT RECOURSE TO THE USE OF AN OVERHEAD CRANE, THE SAID TRANSFER ARRANGEMENT BEING BROUGHT INTO ACCURATE LOCATION AT THE CENTRELINE OF THE PRESS AND THE CONTAINER BEING AXIALLY SLIDABLY REMOVED FROM ITS HOLDER ON TO THE TRANSFER ARRANGEMENT WHERE IT IS SUPPORTED. AFTER REMOVAL FROM THE HOLDER, THE

March '2, 1971 L, CAMVYERON 3,566,659

HORYIZONTALEXTRUSION PRESSES Filed Nov. 29, 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet 1INVENTOR ATTORNEY I. L. CAMERON HORIZONTAL EXTRUSIONI PRESSES- March 2,1971 2 Sheets-Sheet 8 Filed Nov. 29. 1,968

fi//// fii/ F/cZ United States Patent 0 3,566,659 HORIZONTAL EXTRUSIONPRESSES Ian Lewis Cameron, Blandford Forum, England, assignor :0Fielding Plant Design Limited, Bournemouth, Engand Filed Nov. 29, 1968,Ser. No. 779,897 Claims priority, application Great Britain, Dec. 1,1967, 54,861/ 67 Int. Cl. B21c 23/00 U.S. Cl. 72263 8 Claims ABSTRACT OFTHE DISCLOSURE A horizontal extrusion press including a transferarrangement for the rapid and convenient removal of a press containerand its replacement by another without recourse to the use of anoverhead crane, the said transfer arrangement being brought intoaccurate location at the centreline of the press and the container beingaxially slidably removed from its holder on to the transfer arrangementwhere it is supported. After removal from the holder, the container isnext moved downwards below the press columns and then away from thepress to an outside station.

This invention relates to horizontal extrusion presses and in particularto container transfer means therefor.

In a horizontal extrusion press it is necessary to change containers toenable billets of different dimensions to be used. It is essential for aviable installation that the changing of tools, including containers, becompleted as quickly as possible, especially when the press is used fora production programme requiring frequent changes of containers havingdifferent bores.

In existing presses the container is normally removed by means of anoverhead crane, the crane itself or another means being used to supportthe container during its axial movement out of the container holder. Toload a new container into its holder is an even more difficult operationthan container removal since the container is usually located by andsupported on rectangular keys which are a close fit in both containerand holder. The container to be located must therefore be broughtaccurately to the press centre line and accurately located relative tothe container holder before it can be axially moved into the holder.

Using the above method necessitates the installation of a crane of muchlarger capacity than is required for any other production operation.This involves extra cost for the crane and for the crane supportingstructure. Another disadvantage of using the shop crane is that whilstthe container is being changed, other tool changes requiring the use ofthe crane cannot be made. Furthermore, a large crane would normally bemuch slower in use than a smaller one, resulting in the necessity for anadditional product handling crane or loss of time when handlingproducts.

Furthermore, in the case of a very large press excessive headroom isrequired for the removal of the container, its passage over the top ofthe press structure resulting in the provision of an overhead craneexcessively high above the press for other purposes, and necessitating abuilding higher than is demanded for normal production purposes. Inaddition, excessive space for the storage of containers, stems and othertools may be required in the production shop, and frequent transferenceof large and heavy containers and tools between adjoining bays whilstproduction work is progressing may consequently constitute a nuisance tothat work.

According to the present invention there is provided a horizontalextrusion press having transfer means for re- Patented Mar. 2, 1971moving a press container from a container holder; said transfer meansincluding a container receiving member, said member being transverselyreciprocable with respect to the extrusion axis of the press between afirst position, in which the container may be transferred from the pressto the receiving member, and a second lower position, and transportingmeans for removing the container from the said lower position, saidtransporting means being transversely movable with respect to theextrusion axis of the press.

The receiving member may be permanently mounted in the transportingmeans. Conveniently the receiving member may be slidably mounted in thetransporting means for movement between its two positions. The receivingmember may be mounted on transversely orientated guideways secured tothe transporting means. Preferably the receiving member may bevertically reciprocable and the transporting means horizontally movable.

The transporting means may be reciprocably movable between a firstlocation in which the receiving member may be reciprocated between itstwo positions and a second location which is sufficiently remote fromthe extrusion axis to allow container changing to be facilitated.

The receiving member may be provided with container supporting surfaceswhich are arranged, in use, slidably to receive and to support thecontainer during its removal from the container holder.

Relative axial movement between the receiving mem ber and the containerholder during transference of the container may be prevented by means ofengageable hook means provided on the holder and the receiving memberrespectively.

Further according to the invention there is provided a method ofremoving a press container from a container r holder of a horizontalextrusion press in which container transfer means are arranged toreceive and support the container during its removal from the containerholder including the steps of transversely moving the transfer meansfrom a first position, in which the container is transferred, to asecond lower position from which the container is moved by transportingmeans, which are transversely movable with respect to the extrusion axisof the press, to a location which is sufiiciently remote from theextrusion axis to allow container changing to be facilitated.

The invention will now be described in more detail, by way of example,with reference to the accompanying drawing of which:

FIG. 1 shows a diagrammatic and elevation of a horizontal extrusionpress, partly in section; and

FIG. 2 shows a partial side elevation of the press, partly in section,as seen along the direction of the arrow II in FIG. 1.

Referring to the drawing, the press includes a cylindrical container 1mounted in a holder 2, the container being provided with rectangularkeys 3 which slidably engage with correspondingly shaped guides 4 in theholder to ensure correct alignment of the container in the holder.Arranged in a pit 5 beneath the press is a container transferarrangement consisting of a trolley 6, the wheels 7 of which ride alongrespectively horizontally disposed rails 8. The trolley is provided witha cradle 9 having lugs 10 which are arranged for sliding movement infour vertical guideways 11 mounted on the trolley. The cradle is securedto the end of the piston rod 12 of a hydraulic cylinder 13 mounted onthe trolley, actuation of which provides reciprocal movement of thecradle within the guideways. This piston cylinder arrangement could, ofcourse, be replaced by for example, a screw jack, a rack and pinion or apulley system, etc. Two supports 14 are provided on the cradle each ofwhich is formed with a curved surface 15, the radius of curvature ofwhich is the same as the outside radius of the container body. A guidechannel 16 is formed between the two supports which is adapted toreceive one of the rectangular keys 3 when a container is positioned onthe supports.

When it is required to perform a container changing operation thetrolley 6 is traversed along the rails 8 until it abuts a buffer 17mounted on the wall of the pit 5, in which position it is symmetricallydisposed beneath the press as shown in FIG. 1. The cylinder 13 is thenactuated to move the cradle 9 upward to the broken line position shownin FIG. 1. In this position the axis of the imaginary cylinder on whichthe surfaces 15 lie is co-linear with the extrusion axis of the pressand consequently on axial withdrawal of the container from the holder,the lowest of the rectangular keys 3, Will engage in the channel 16whilst the outer surface of the container itself will be in nestingengagement with the surfaces 15. The orientation of the container willnot be disturbed therefore, during transference from the holder to thecradle or, more pertinently from the a cradle to the holder. Althoughthere are various methods of withdrawing the container from the holder,in this example withdrawal is effected by attaching the container to amovable cross-head 18 by links 19 and using the return cylinders, notshown, of the press. To give stability to the trolley when pulling thecontainer on and off the cradle a hook 20 formed on the cradle engageswith a hook 21 formed on the holder 2, see FIG. 2. When the containerhas been transferred to the cradle the latter is lowered, by exhaustingthe cylinder 13, into its full line position shown in FIG. 1. Thetrolley is then traversed to a position away from the centreline of thepress, such as a toolroom or toolstore, not shown, which may be located,for example, in an adjoining building. The container may then be removedand replaced by a different one, whereupon the above sequence ofoperations is reversed to insert the new container into the containerholder.

To reduce the time cycle of the transfer arrangement two trolleys couldbe used, one of which is stationed at a point away from and at oneside'of the press and which can be traversed to the centreline of thepress with a different container as soon as the trolley carrying thecontainer that has just been used on the press has been moved from thecentreline to a point away from and at the other side of the press.

An alternative method of transfer is achieved by installing a cradlewhich can only be moved up to and down from the centreline of the press,lateral movement being prevented. In this case, the trolley istraversible over the cradle and is formed so that the cradle may beraised or lowered there-through whilst the trough passage of the container is prohibited. Consequently, when a container has beentransferred to the cradle and is being lowered it is deposited on thetrolley, whereas the cradle is retracted through the trolley. Similarly,when a different container is brought into place above the retractedcradle, the latter is passed through the trolley to pick up thecontainer and move it to its upper position. One or two trolleys may beused as in the previously described method.

An advantage of the transfer arrangement described above is that itfacilitates rapid and accurate location of a container at the centrelineo htef press ready for axial movement into the container holder.Furthermore, it ensures rapid and convenient removal of one containerfrom the press and its replacement by another without recourse to theuse of an overhead crane which allows the latter to be used for otherpurposes whilst container changing is in progress.

An advantage of locating the transfer arrangement below the level of thepress is that it provides a rapid and convenient means of containerchanging which does not result in the handling or storage of large andheavy tools within the production Workshop, and consequently, a means ofstoring such tools Within either a cellar beneath the productionworkshop floor or in an adjoining bay.

I claim:

1. A horizontal extrusion press having transfer means for removing apress container from a container holder;

said transfer means including a container receiving member, said memberbeing transversely reciprocable with respect to the extrusion axis ofthe press between a first position, in which the container is inalignment with the extrusion axis so that the container may betransferred from the container holder to the receiving member, and asecond lower position, and transporting means for removing the containerfrom the said lower position, said transporting means beingsubstantially horizontally movable transversely with respect to theextrusion axis of the press.

2. A press as claimed in claim 1 in which the said receiving member ispermanently mounted in the said transporting means.

/ 3. A press as claimed in claim 2 in which the said receiving member isslidably mounted in the said transporting means for movement between itstwo positions.

4. A press as claimed in claim 3 in which the said receiving member ismounted on transversely orientated guideways secured to the saidtransporting means 5. A press as claimed in claim 1 in which the said receiving member is vertically reciprocable and said transporting meanshorizontally movable.

6. A press as claimed in claim 1 in which the said transporting means isreciprocable movable between a first location in which the saidreceiving member may be reciprocated between its two positions and asecond location which is sufliciently remote from the extrusion axis toallow container changing to be facilitated.

7. A press as claimed in claim 1 in which the said receiving member isprovided 'with container supporting surfaces which are arranged, in use,slidably to receive and support the container during its removal fromthe container holder.

8. A press as claimed in claim 1 in which relative axial movementbetween the said container receiving member and the said holder duringtransference of the container is prevented by means of engageable hookmeans provided on the holder and the container receiving memberrespectively.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 498,304 5/1893 Potter 72-2633,377,832 4/1968 Singleton 72-264 3,466,915 9/1969 Boshold 722721,944,982 1/1934 Hoy 72.-263 2,751,076 6/1956 Lombard 72-263 CHARLES W.LANHAM, Primary Examiner A. L. HAVIS, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R.72272

